The most common type of septic system used throughout the United States consists of a septic tank with some form of secondary treatment system, usually a subsurface seepage system. These types of systems use anaerobic bacteria that naturally grow inside the septic tank to slowly break down waste causing the larger particles and sludge to settle and remain on the bottom of the tank. Raw sewage, mixed with small particles is allowed to exit the septic tank and enter into a secondary treatment system where the cleaning process is continued. In many cases a buildup of anaerobic bacteria, raw sewage, and small particles occurs in the secondary treatment system causing premature failure of those systems. These types of systems need routine tank pumping usually every 3 years.
The claimed self-standing weighted diffuser assembly converts an anaerobic septic system into an aerobic system by pumping air into the effluent. Aerobic systems have been in use throughout the United States for more than 40 years. Aerobic systems and the use of aerobic bacteria to treat residential wastewater have been proven to be much more effective than septic tanks utilizing anaerobic bacteria. There are many advantages of processing wastewater inside the main tank by means of the aerobic process before exiting into some form of secondary treatment system. Many aerobic systems have been proven to produce clear and odorless discharges that will be less likely to contaminate groundwater and greatly prolong the life of a secondary treatment system. The effluent produced by this process is of a high enough quality that some states allow these types of clear and odorless discharges to directly discharge to the ground surface through some type of open pipe or spray irrigation.
The use of an air pump to introduce air into the septic tank is similar in design to some existing United States patented products such as Goodman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,135, Long, U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,054, Stuth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,754, and Estes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,393; however, the claimed apparatus consists of several unique and individual characteristics specific only to this apparatus. The self-standing weighted diffuser assembly does more than introduce air into a septic tank to proliferate the growth of aerobic bacteria. The claimed apparatus can easily and quickly be installed into existing septic tanks through a pre-existing opening as small as 8-inches in diameter. While the claimed apparatus is distributing a combination of coarse and fine air diffusion, the rotating motion of the wastewater caused by this air introduction bouncing off of a deflection plate is specifically intended to create a designed rolling action that will break waste down into small particles very quickly as well as draw those waste particles down and away from the existing septic tank's discharge point.
It is the purpose of this invention to take advantage of the aerobic technologies available and convert them for use in an existing septic tank. There exist a few apparatuses patented, such as Goodman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,135, Long, U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,054, Stuth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,754, and Estes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,393, that introduce air into an existing septic tank to promote the growth of aerobic bacteria. These types of systems, although similar in the means of introducing air through a small air pump into an existing septic tank, are different in substance in how they work and the effectiveness of their functionality in a single compartment septic tank. Existing single compartment septic tanks that have already been manufactured and buried beneath the ground surface are limited in accessibility. Many of these tanks are constructed of concrete, fiberglass, or roto-molded plastics.
Goodman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,135, Long, U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,054, and Hoage, U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,353 B2, require major excavation and large openings in the top of the existing septic tank to allow installation of those patented inventions. Constructing larger openings in these tanks for the installation of new equipment would potentially structurally weaken an already aged septic tank that may have been buried for years and has continually been subjected to hydrostatic pressures created by high ground waters. Some inventions in this field, such as Stuth, U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,754, Hoage, U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,353 B2, Long, U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,054, Goodman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,135, and Blough, U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,237 B1, introduce air into the septic tank but do not create significant circulation and movement in the wastewater to break down solids quickly. Also, Hoage, U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,353 B2 and Blough, U.S. Pat. No. 6,245,237 B1 have mechanical moving parts as part of the elements of their design.
The claimed apparatus is designed to fit into existing openings in existing septic tanks without structurally weakening the tanks by manufacturing larger openings. The claimed apparatus improves upon prior art by imparting a specific mode of circulation which produces a rolling action of the wastewater within the septic tank. When the air pump is activated, air enters the diffuser assembly and discharges a combination of fine and coarse air bubbles through the orifices. This action causes the wastewater to be forced against the deflector plate and creates a rolling action of the wastewater starting at the bottom of the septic tank and rolling upwards toward the outside of the tank. This rolling wastewater is forced to the top of the liquid level in the septic tank and is then pulled back down to the bottom and back toward the diffuser where the cycle begins again. This unique action takes place on all sides of the diffuser assembly and causes all biodegradable waste to be broken down into small particles very quickly, usually within a few minutes after entering the existing septic tank. This rolling action is particularly beneficial in single compartment septic tanks in which the rolling action helps draw waste and particles away from the discharge end of a septic tank and back to the diffuser assembly. Additional benefits include the production of sufficient oxygen in the wastewater to enhance the proliferation of aerobic bacteria. By achieving constant movement of this wastewater throughout the existing septic tank, the claimed apparatus causes the rapid breaking down of all solids entering the septic tank into small particles, and also promotes the attachment of bacteria to those small floating and moving particles.
The attachment of aerobic bacteria to those small particles enhances the final breakdown and elimination of those particles which will usually occur within 24 hours because of this specific mode of circulation of the wastewater.
One of the most important aspects of the invention was the consideration given to maintenance on key components located within and below the sewage level in the septic tank. Maintenance on the apparatus is relatively minor. The diffuser assembly has no moving parts and should not need to be removed and cleaned. However removal of this diffuser would be simple and quick, since it is attached to a flexible airline and could be lifted out of the tank as warranted.
The apparatus is designed to be installed in individual onsite existing residential septic tank systems. Treatment of larger volumes of residential wastewater can be achieved with the addition of larger or multiple air pumps and multiple diffuser assemblies. The apparatus will treat 150 gallons of residential wastewater with each cubic foot of air that is introduced through the diffuser assembly. For example, three cubic feet of air would treat 450 gallons of residential wastewater per day, which would be considered an average normal residential application. Each individual diffuser assembly is capable of introducing up to and a maximum of 7 cubic feet of air per minute into the wastewater in a residential septic tank. Multiple diffuser assemblies can be added to meet specific needs. Additionally although the apparatus has been designed to effectively process residential wastewater in a single compartment septic tank, the apparatus will also process residential wastewater in multiple compartment septic tanks as well.